There is a strange yellow light that almost has a green tint to it, making the 9:00 p.m. sky brightly eery.  It has to do with the tornado watch weather…now the sky is turning a hint rosey-brown.  The air has a pulling muggy feel, that keeps our bread tender soft and turns our crispy cookies into a melt in your mouth crumble affair.  The last trimester is setting in and these last six weeks seem to stretch in a looming laugh on the horizon, I have to exercise at night (not hardly as likely)…or I am in pain all day long.

My Minnesotan white siding house with gabled windows and cheery red door is day by day becoming all the cozier; a tidy and orderly simplified, organized, fresh air happy haven, except in the bathroom where the potty puddles on the toilet back are growing along with the side boards accumulating dust and hair.  I sweep through the house each night like a little white tornado to awake each morning to clean empty corners in each room, the pillows straight and the counters empty and clear with the sunshine of our yellow dining room with new table and chairs….but…as of yet the white tornado skips over the bathroom every time.  The tub has frequented a few hot lavender bubble baths and the dental floss, rubber bands and barrettes all have their own little homes there in the cupboard, quite satisfactory.

Last night, I had to chuckle when Milly asked “Can I sneak a piece of chicken?”  The night before I had to laugh when Hazel confided to us that if our unborn child, ‘Baby Bean’ turns out to be a boy…she’ll die; and although Rawl leaves terrible first impressions to whomever he meets of a nightmarish disobedient fire-cracker, he’s been making his bed on his own accord every morning, saying his prayers with the slight hint of my song, “Ere you left your room this morning…did you think to…(pray)”…. and he starts praying….he’s getting dressed and brushing teeth like a machine, giving me a very violent high five for all of the above, and teasing and hitting in very minimal levels.

We all enjoy our laundry ‘shoop’ and now, each child has their own bucket which they take to their room where they stuff each clothing item in the right shoe box in their drawer…no we aren’t folding now and I am loving this new system.  Baby Bean shakes my belly like an earthquake and the kids can’t wait to go to the zoo.  I got a library card and we’ll try to go rowing as a family again tomorrow if the wind doesn’t thwart our plan again.  Riley’s clothes take up more room in our closet than mine and Christ is my triumphant Savior each new day.  We finally started reading scriptures as a family again at night and saying family prayers, so we are off to a good start here in the little Minnesotan home with a happy red door.